


Sympathy For The Devil

by septicat



Category: Septiplier - Fandom, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Bartender!Mark, M/M, Septiplier - Freeform, Will add tags as I go, bartender!jack, punk!jack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-04-19 16:56:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4753952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/septicat/pseuds/septicat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack gets a job at a local bar in LA, and is being trained by a guy named Mark, who Jack isn't really sure of upon their first meeting. A job is a job, though, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Purgatory

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is. The beginning of a new chaptered septiplier fic!  
> Please, guys, comments will keep this story going. Your kudos are awesome, but comments make my heart melt into a million pieces, and if theres something you think could make this better, communicate it. I'm always open for suggestions!  
> LOVE YOU GUYS  
> xx

“What makes you want to work here, Sean?”

It was question I had been asked on multiple interviews over the past few months, and every time, I wasn't sure how to answer. I mean, I honestly wanted the job because I needed the money. Of course, nobody really _wanted_ that answer, so I had to make something up. It never seemed to work, though, because so far in my month of job searching, nobody had hired me. To add insult to injury, I had yet to come across one manager that called me Jack, like I would always ask very politely. 

Which is why I ended up here, in this shit-hole of a bar. It was actually closer to my apartment than most of the other places had been. I had avoided it until the very end of my job search, mostly because it looked so awful, I couldn't imagine myself working there. Desperate times called for desperate measures, though.

I got out of my car and took the last hit off my cigarette as I stared at the small, stand alone building. It was wasn't anything special at all. It actually blended into the rest of the street really well, to the point that you wouldn't really notice it unless you were outwardly in search of the place. The building itself was nothing special; just a small, brick structure with two large, metal double doors on the front. There were a few windows near the top of the walls, but they were blacked out and you couldn't really see into them at all. A small, black and white sign was hung above the double doors that read  _Purgatory_ in bold letters. Pretty stupid name, if you ask me. 

There was only about 15 parking spaces in the whole area, so it was apparent that the bar itself wouldn't be that big. Besides my car, there were only two other cars in the parking lot; a large, silver van closer to the center and a small, black sports car near the entrance. It was probably safe to assume one of them was an employee car. It wasn't surprising, though, since it was only 6 pm. It was barely even time for dinner, let alone time to start drinking heavily.

I threw the butt of my cigarette off into the parking lot, grabbed a resume from my passenger seat and slowly started making my way to the front doors. 

When I walked inside, I could get the sense that I had made a good choice to leave this place for last. There was some heavy rock music playing through the speakers, but it wasn't incredibly loud. It wasn't really dirty, but it was the smallest bar I had seen since I'd been in Los Angeles. On the other side of the building was a long, empty bar, which was the same dark wood as the four or five tables that cluttered the middle of the room. On left side of the room, there was a row of five booths, with the dark wood tables and deep red cushions, which seemed to be falling apart a bit. On the opposite side of that were two pool tables, which was probably the best looking thing in the whole place. The floor didn't seem to dirty, but it was just black concrete, so it was kind of difficult to tell. All in all, it wasn't a bar I would go to often, but there was already a couple sitting in a booth, so apparently they had  _some_ business.

It wasn't long before I was greeted by a small brunette with a sweet smile. She wore black pants and a black top, with an apron around her waist. She was obviously the only waitress around, and from what I could see, the only employee. She hurried over to me, and grabbed a menu and a roll of silverware from the podium directly to my left.

“Hi, how are you today?” She waited for me to answer, her smile never leaving her face.

“I'm alright, thank you.” 

“Are you wanting a table or are we sitting at the bar tonight?” 

“I'm actually, uh, looking for the manager.” Her smile faded slightly, but she nodded anyway. 

“Just one second, I'll go get him for you.” She sat the menu and silverware down on the podium again and hurried off to a door to the right of the bar. I was left alone in the room with the couple two booths away. I couldn't really believe I was about to ask about working in a bar like this. I was hoping I was better than that, but according to almost every bar 10 miles away from me, this is where I was destined to end up.

It was only a few minutes before the waitress was followed out by a tall, blonde man, who looked barely old enough to even be in a bar. She gestured in my direction and he nodded, before leaving her to tend to the customers. He walked up to me quickly, sticking his hand out for me to shake almost immediately. 

“Hi, I'm Felix, the owner. What can I do for you?”  _Oh god, he was the owner._ I immediately got more nervous than I should have been, but I also should have expected it from such a small place. He had an accent, so he definitely wasn't from here, but it didn't make it any harder for me to understand him. I shook his hand quickly.

“My name is Jack McLoughlin, and I was wondering if you guys were hiring for a bartender.” He turned and looked over to the bar, contemplating, before turning back to me. 

“Do you have a resume?” I was a little irritated that he didn't outright answer my question. My heart started to sink as I handed him the piece of paper in my hand, knowing that this was probably going to be the end of this conversation. If I was lucky, I would get a call in the next day or so, but there wasn't a great chance of that happening from the looks of it. He took the paper from me and quickly scanned over it.

“You moved here from San Francisco, but you're originally from Ireland, huh? How long have you been in the States?”

“A few years now, but I've only been in LA for about 2 months.” He continued to read over everything, nodding slightly.

“Alright, yeah, come sit with me over here, will you?” I followed him over to the booth closest to the door and sat across from him. He sighed loudly while I sat awkwardly with my hands in my lap, waiting for him to talk.

“Here's the thing. We're not actually hiring right now, but I feel like I could make an exception for you. You have a ton of bar tending experience.” He didn't look up at me a single time, as his eyes were glued to the paper in front of him. “Your real name is Sean?”

“Um, yeah. I actually prefer Jack, though.” Felix nodded. 

“Alright, Jack, what makes you want to work here?” There it was again. That stupid question that never works out in my favor. I thought about it for a quick second before sighing loudly.

“Look, I'll be honest. I know you probably want some answer about how wonderful I think your bar is and what not, but the truth is, I need the money. I'm almost out of what I had saved up and I've been trying for what seems like forever to get a job. The only thing I'm good at is bar-tending, so that's what I intend on doing.”

“That's fair enough. Why do you think the other places didn't hire you?” I shrugged my shoulders.

“I don't really know, to be honest. I guess it's just that so many of the bars out here are high class and I don't really fit the part, which I'm completely aware of. I'm not going to make myself look like a total douche.” I probably shouldn't have said it, but Felix laughed anyway. It was true, though. I didn't really fit the profile they were all looking for in a new bartender. I had a lot of tattoos and a lot of piercings, and I wasn't willing to take any of those out. It was probably something stupid to be worried about since I was barely able to eat at this point, but I'm too stubborn for my own good.

“Well, to be honest, I don't care what you look like. As long as you can do your job well, I can't complain. I know this bar doesn't look like much, but it's my pride and joy, and we actually get a lot of business. It's more locals than anything, but they keep coming night after night, and there's potential to make really good money if you want it bad enough.” He slid my resume to the side and laced his fingers together, placing his hands on the table between us. “So, I'll make you a deal. I'll bring you on for a week. If you can prove to me that you want this, the job is yours. Guaranteed full-time, minimum wage plus your tips. I'll pay you for the first week. No tips, until you can prove yourself. What do you think?”

It seemed like there was a huge potential for me to screw this up and end up without a job again, but worse case scenario, I'll end up with the week's pay and go on my way. At this point in my life, I had no option but to take the offer.

“It's a deal. When do you want me?” He smiled and nodded.

“Grab a menu on your way out and start learning it. Come back tomorrow night. It's a Thursday, so it'll be slightly busy, but not until later in the night, so that'll give you plenty of time to work with Mark to get you trained. Black t-shirt, black pants, and be here at 4 o'clock.” I smiled and nodded. We both stood up from the booth and he stuck his hand out one last time to shake my hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Jack. See you tomorrow.”

I said my goodbye and headed to the door. I grabbed the menu the waitress had left on the podium on my way out, and lit a cigarette as I got in my car to head home.

Half of me was thrilled I  _finally_ had a job. The other half of me was irritated that this is where I ended up. Hopefully tomorrow wouldn't go too bad.


	2. Roommates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, I'm not incredibly happy with this chapter. I'm so tired of dealing with editing this thing, so hopefully you guys like it, and don't worry.  
> Next chapter will be full of many introductions that you've been waiting for ;)  
> Leave a comment, send some love, keep this bad boy going.  
> Love you all!

The drive home took a lot longer than I had planned. My apartment was actually only 10 minutes from the bar, but for some reason there was more traffic than usual, so it was almost a 25 minute endeavor to get to the complex. I was thrilled to finally find a parking space close to the door and get inside as quickly as possible. I wasn't thrilled, however, when I got inside and the clean apartment I had left this morning had turned into a shit-storm of dirty dishes and empty bags of potato chips. I wasn't sure if I would ever get used to living with a roommate, even after almost a year of living with the same person. Dan drove me crazy more often than not, but hey, he was paying half the rent.

“Oh, hey, you're home!” The tall, skinny man popped out of the hallway, completely naked except for a pair of stained boxers. He scratched his head through his thick, curly hair that stuck out in all directions as he walked into the kitchen and began to pour himself a glass of water from the tap.

“Um, yeah. I was sure I left this place looking pretty decent this morning.” I threw my wallet, keys, and the menu on the kitchen table, waiting for him to explain the state of the apartment.

“I had some friends over, and I just haven't had the chance to clean it. I promise, I will. I didn't expect you to be home so early.” He took a drink of his water and immediately began consolidating all of the dishes in the kitchen to be washed. I rummaged through the refrigerator until I found something to drink. I could have helped Dan clean everything up, but I did my part that morning. I wasn't really in the mood to help anybody do anything.

“Woah, did you steal a menu from... _Purgatory?_ What is that, a restaurant?” Dan was examining the small menu when I turned back around from the refrigerator.

“Yeah, because I love stealing menus.” My sarcasm wasn't lost on him.

“Well, fuck, it's not like you haven't stolen stupid shit from places before.” I laughed, walked over to him, and took the menu from his hands.

“No, I didn't steal it, Dan. I got a job there.”

“You got a job?! That's fucking awesome man!” His giant hand smacked my shoulder heavily, sending my upper body forward, to the point I had to catch myself with my hands on the table. Sometimes, he forgot that I was half his size. He was really skinny like I was, but he was nearly 7 inches taller than me, which didn't really make me feel any better about our weight being nearly identical.

“Yeah, well, it's money. I start tomorrow.”

“Why don't you seem very excited about this? You've been complaining about not getting a job since we moved here.” Dan was my roommate back in San Francisco for almost 9 months before we decided to move out to Los Angeles. I had met him at a restaurant we both worked at at the time, I was the head bartender when he came on as a server. He ended up falling on hard times, I had just lost my roommate, and I offered him a place to live. He was a really good guy, and we got along great, except for the few occasions where he managed to trash the place in less than 12 hours.

“Yeah, I know. It just wasn't the place I was really hoping to be working. It's really small.” Dan rolled his eyes and picked up the plates that were on the table and headed into the kitchen.

“That doesn't necessarily matter, Jack. As long as you know what you're doing, you can make good money just about anywhere. You're a fantastic bartender. So, quit being a high-maintenance brat and be happy you're still bar-tending.”

“That's fucking easy for you to say. You work in a nice place that has a lot of business.” He shook his head as he opened up a trash bag.

“Again, that doesn't matter. We have this really stupid server, Melanie, and good  _God_ she is awful. She gets her fair share of tables, but I know for a fact she walks out of that place with almost a third of what I make on a slow night. Because she's never served a day in her life until now, and she is seriously not cut out for it. Like I said, you're a wonderful bartender. Plus, if it's so small, you'll have less competition with other bartenders.” I shrugged my shoulders. It wasn't that I was worried about the job itself. I had no doubt in my mind that I was great at my job. I was probably more cocky about it than I should have been, hence the reason I was so irritated that I wasn't going to get any tips for a whole week.

“Well, I hope it ends up being a good place, or I'm going to be extremely pissed off that I wasted my time there.” Dan shook his head and went into the living room to pick up the trash that cluttered the coffee table. I followed behind him, but instead of helping him pick up, I sat down on the couch with my bottle of water. I flipped on the TV, trying to find something to avert my time for the next few hours.

“Shouldn't you be studying your menu? Or helping me clean?” I flipped him the bird, not taking my eyes off the TV as I flipped through the channels. “Oh, fucking mature, McLoughlin.”

“I'll study later. I'm just going to bask in the small time frame where I don't have to worry about a fucking thing.” Dan rolled his eyes, yet again, and finished cleaning up the living room.

I was lucky enough to get a few hours of time where I didn't have a constant panic of not having a job. It was really nice, and I realized it was the first time in almost 3 months where I wasn't completely losing my mind over what was happening in my life. I had a comfortable apartment, with a really cool roommate, and now I had a steady income.

Dan eventually joined me on the couch once the place was clean again. I lit a cigarette as he began eating from a bag of pretzels. He turned to me, mouth completely full of food.

“Are there any cute girls that are working there? Maybe guys?” I sighed loudly as I exhaled the smoke.

“Dude, can we not?”

“What I'm seriously asking. Maybe you'll find someone there.”

“Look, I have no idea who my co-workers are yet. All I saw was some blonde guy behind the bar, some little brunette waiting tables, and the owner.” Dan exhaled in a dramatic fashion, rolling his eyes in the process.

“Dude, you have to put yourself out there. That blonde guy behind the bar might be really fuckin' good in bed. Even if you guys end up just frien-”

“Dan, I know. You don't need to set me up with anybody. I'm good on my own. At least right now.” The last thing I needed at this point in my life was to ruin my new job with coworker drama, and fuck, I didn't need anybody pressing the concept of romance on me right now. Now was not the time for me to be dating. The last thing on my list of shit-I-want-to-deal-with is another person demanding I give them my affection.

Another person? No, another girl.

A girl.

Fuck.

I put my cigarette out and pressed my eyes shut for the shortest of seconds.

“I'm just saying, man. I want you to be happy.” Dan pressed his hands to the top of his legs and stood up, turning over his shoulder as he made his way toward his bedroom. “This loner shit you're pulling lately is affecting more than just you. I mean, I have to deal with your moping too.” He winked at me and disappeared behind his doorframe, leaving me sitting on the couch alone.


	3. Jackaboy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooooh the moment you all have been waiting for. >:)  
> This chapter is much longer, and I am much happier with the outcome.  
> Thank you guys for all the bookmarks, kudos, and comments! Knowing you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it makes me so happy, you have no idea.  
> Leave some love!  
> I love you all <3

Somehow, in my unrelenting nervousness, I ended up getting to the bar almost 20 minutes early. It definitely wasn't intended, but it did give me a few extra minutes to smoke an extra cigarette without having to deal with the shitty drivers on the Los Angeles streets at the same time.

To say I was nervous would be an understatement. It wasn't like I had any reason to be; I had studied the menu the whole night until I forced myself to go to bed at 4 in the morning, and instead of checking my phone with my coffee, I was back to the menu, memorizing prices for endless types of drinks. For such a small place, they had a very extensive selection. My nerves, however, were shot mostly because I didn't know who I would be working with today. I had only seen one blonde guy in passing behind the bar the day before, so unless that was the guy Felix referred to as 'Mark', I was going to have to go in here and work side by side with a guy I had never seen in my life.

I finished my last cigarette with about 5 minutes to spare. I spritzed myself with a bit of cologne I kept in my glove compartment and headed into the small, cramped building.

When I got inside, there wasn't many customers, just like the day before. There was a lone person at the end of the bar, but he was handing a card to a man with dark brown hair, who smiled graciously and began to ring him up on the opposite end of the bar. I assumed that would be the guy I would work with in just a few short minutes, and I couldn't help but feel my face start to blush a bit. _Damnit, Jack._

Before I could really take in the rest of my surroundings, I was greeted by the same, small brunette as I had been the previous day.

“You're Jack, right?” Her smile was wide and exuberant, but it didn't seem fake at all.

“That would be me.” She started to turn her body away from me and waved for me to follow.

“Just follow me, I'll take you on back.” About halfway to the bar, she spoke again. “I'm Bethany, but you can just call me Beth. I'm here most of the time, so if you need anything, always feel free to ask.” She didn't seemed bothered when I didn't respond, as we were already walking through a small door to the right of the bar. It didn't require anything more than a push from her, and we were both inside a small hallway with a kitchen on the other end. The door swung back and forth behind us, before coming to a stop as it had been before.

The hallway we entered was small, but there was a counter on the right hand side. It held an array of trays, cups, silverware and napkins, all stacked neatly next to a Pepsi machine. On the end of the counter farthest from the door, there was a tall ice machine. There was a shelf above it that held different sized plastic containers and Styrofoam to-go boxes.

She informed me how this was the server station, and that I wouldn't really be using it too often. We exited the hallway, which opened out to the right. It was very obviously the kitchen, and a few guys walked around, washing dishes and preparing some of the food for the rest of the night. I couldn't see too much of what was happening, though, as we were separated by a long, stainless steel counter, for them to transfer the food from the kitchen to the wait staff. It was all very neatly laid out.

We walked past the kitchen, and into yet another hallway. There was a big, green door at the very end, which I was guessing lead outside. She stopped about halfway down the hallway and knocked on a door on our right. It was only a few seconds before the door opened slowly, and I heard Felix from inside.

“Yes, Beth?”

“Jack is here.” I heard a chair slide across the floor, and Felix stepped outside, leaving his office door opened behind him.

“Good! You're on time. Nice to see you, man.” Beth slipped off to the front without saying anything. Felix stepped back into his office, and motioned for me to follow. I pushed the door open further and took one step in, feeling uncomfortable standing too far into my boss' office. Felix reached up to the shelf above him, pulling down a box and digging around for a second before presenting me with a small, black apron.

“There's this for you. You won't need a name tag or anything, because name tags are fucking stupid.” He laughed at his own thought, and I nodded in agreement. “So, follow me, I'll introduce you to Mark, and he can take it from there.” We stepped out of the office and he shut the door behind him, before leading me back through the kitchen. Instead of taking the same hallway I entered from before, we took a left after walking past the metal counter, into another door that swung both ways, just like the one leading from the dining room to the server station. This time, we ended up in the bar, standing directly in front of the cash register.

“Mark, this is Jack.” Felix motioned for the dark haired man to come over to us, which didn't take him long. There wasn't a lot of room behind the bar. Definitely not enough for two people to work side by side comfortably, but I wasn't really complaining.

Mark walked up and immediately stuck his hand out, presented with a slight grin. Friendly enough, but he was obviously keeping his distance.

“Nice to meet you.” his voice was deep and sultry, and it was definitely not what I was expecting to come out of his mouth.

He was bit taller than me, but definitely broader than I was. He had quite a bit of muscle that pushed at the edge of his t-shirt sleeve. His hair was shorter on the sides, but the top was much longer, to the point that he had a big curl of bangs that was swept to the side of his face. He had deep, brown eyes that hid behind a pair of glasses. His facial hair was rugged, but obviously not unkempt. He definitely took care of himself, that I was sure of.

“Yeah, you too, man.” He smiled again and we both turned to Felix for further instruction for the night.

“I want you to show him the basics of how things work around here first, yeah? If he did his homework, he should at least be able to keep up, but just make sure you take customers and he can help you out. I'll be leaving today at 7 because I have to help a friend out, so Marzia will be in later to close you guys out. Let me know how he does, alright?” Mark nodded and Felix turned to me. “I'll be pretty busy in the back before I leave, so if I don't see you later, just come back tomorrow, same time.” I nodded understandingly and he smiled in response, before heading back to his office. He didn't really seem like a hands on boss.

Now, Mark and I were completely alone behind the bar. We still didn't have any customers, so Beth was sitting in a booth on her phone. I was starting to get very worried about making money here.

I felt a hand smack against my shoulder, making me jump. I turned to see Mark chuckling softly, his hand still on my shoulder.

“Didn't mean to scare you, sorry. I figured I could start showing you around.”

“Yeah, sounds good.” He started showing me the basics of the bar. It was a lot shorter than ones I had worked at before, but there was still a lot of shelf space. He pointed out the basics; where the glassware was kept, how the liquor was organized, the ice machines, the draft selections and anything else we could possibly need on a normal shift. He ran through how we used the registers quickly, deciding to really show me once we have a customer. Once the basics were shown, we started drying the glassware that had been brought from the dishwasher.

“So, where are you from?”

“I just moved here from San Francisco, but I'm originally from Ireland.”

“An Irishman working in a bar. Seems fitting.” I nodded uncomfortably, and he continued wiping down glasses, and handing them to me to put away. Mark didn't really make me uncomfortable; he was actually really nice.

“So, does Felix normally just sit in his office the whole time?” Mark shrugged his shoulders.

“Most of the time, yes. If we get really busy, he'll come out to help, but normally he's in the back helping the kitchen or in his office. His wife, Marzia, is normally here to help out with the bar and the service side of things. You'll get to meet her later, she's really sweet.” He handed me two more beer glasses and I sat them up with the rest.

“Not to sound intrusive, do you normally make decent money here?” This time, Mark turned to look at me, before quietly chuckling.

“Yeah, you definitely can. We actually get a lot more business than you'd think. I had the same worries when I started here, too. I was damn good at what I do, and I was weary about working at a run down place like this. I promise, if you're good at bar-tending, you'll make really good money, so don't worry, Jackaboy.” The nickname immediately caught me off guard.

“What did you just call me?” He raised his eyebrow at me.

“Does it bother you?” I wanted to say yes, but I could tell no matter what I said, he would end up calling me 'Jackaboy' for the rest of my time at this bar.

“Maybe it does.” I joked.

“Well, you might as well get used to it.”

Fifteen minutes passed before we had a younger couple walk in the doors. Beth caught them first; she checked their Ids, asked them where they'd like to sit, and after an answer neither Mark nor I could hear, they headed up to the bar and sat down.

“Hey, guys, how are we doing today?” Marks entire personality switched in an instant, and it was magical to watch. Before, with just me, he had been very quiet. He had talked a lot, but he never seemed extravagant in his actions or his voice. He had thought very deliberately about what he was saying to me.

As soon as these two kids sat down, he was all smiles and way more inviting than he had been with me. His voice gained a few debacles and there was a new-found bounce in his speech as he took their order and made small talk with them at the same time. It was very apparent that customer service was his calling.

“Alright, when we take their order, we make the drinks, but we have to make sure we put it in to the computer. We have some paper to write down the orders if you need it. They wanted two Bud light drafts, and an order of fries.” I turned to start making the drinks, but he stopped me before I got the chance to turn completely around. “Come put it in the computer first. I can do the drinks.”

Alright, I was immediately irritated. I was fully capable of making two fucking drafts.

I went over to the computer with Mark. He showed me how to send everything in, and double checking that we put the seat numbers or else the servers won't know where to take the food. Simple stuff that almost every other bar did.

He slid behind me and pulled out the glasses, pouring the draft in one by one.

“You know, I can make drafts. I'm not a moron.” He turned to look at me, finishing up the last drink.

“I never said you couldn't.” He walked past me with the drinks in hand, handing them to the couple and pulling out the 'customer service Mark' before turning back to me.

“Look, I'm going to be real with you here. I know what I'm doing. Almost everything on your menu, I've made before. I really would appreciate it if you gave me an actual chance, here.” Mark almost seemed taken aback by my sudden hostility toward the situation. I wanted to do my job, but to do that, I needed the opportunity to prove myself. It had only been one drink he didn't allow me to make, but from what I could tell, neither him nor Felix wanted me to be making drinks tonight. I didn't come here to be an assistant.

“Fine.” He nodded and looked around for a second. “I appreciate your enthusiasm. Felix, however, won't. So here's the deal. He's got cameras in his office, and he'll see if you're making drinks on your own right now. Deal with me making drinks and showing you how until he leaves and Marzia comes in.”

“Won't Marzia just tell him?”

“She won't, no. She'll appreciate the work, and if she asks, I'll tell her whats happening. Just bear with me for a few hours, okay, Jackaboy?” _Ugh._ I didn't have a choice, did I?

 

* * *

 

About ten minutes later, the two strangers and Felix walked out to the dining room, which now only had two tables filled. According to Mark, we were supposed to pick back up in about 30 minutes.

“Jack, this is Marzia.” Felix said, walking up with his wife to the bar. I nodded a hello, as my hands were busy drying glasses, yet again, for what felt like the fifth time that day. “And this is Cyle, he's the other server that's scheduled with Beth tonight. He's here quite often too, but he normally works morning shifts.” The new server was across the room, wiping down a table. After hearing his name, he turned and waved, before going back to his work. “How's things been going?” The question was obviously directed at Mark.

“It's been going really well. I've shown him all the drinks we've had coming through, and he's really great with customers. You did well in hiring him, we needed someone like him.” He put a hand on my shoulder again, something I noticed he did whenever he was complimenting me or talking about me to someone else. Every time he would introduce me to a customer, especially the regulars, he had his hand on my shoulder. At first, it bothered me a bit, but after awhile, I started to become comfortable with the touch.

“That's what I want to hear. I'll see you guys tomorrow.” Felix waved a goodbye and headed out the door. Once he was completely out, Mark grabbed Marzia's attention before she walked away from the bar.

“Okay, here's the deal, Miss Marzia. Jack's a good bartender. He knows what he's doing. Felix doesn't want him making drinks tonight, but I think he should be. I'll keep an eye on him at first, but I truly believe he can do this.” Marzia nodded excitedly.

“Yes, yes of course! If you can do it, prove it.” She had a very thick Italian accent, but a sweet voice that matched her perfectly. She smiled sweetly. “I have to go do some paperwork, if you need me, just come get me!” She headed off to the back, and I turned to Mark.

“I thought you said you would only say something if she asked?” He raised his eyebrow.

“Well, she said it was okay, didn't she? I had to gauge what kind of mood Felix and her were in before I decided what to do. But tonight's your night to prove yourself, Jackaboy. Remember, I'm the one judging how you do.”

The rest of the night went well. As he promised, he kept an eye on the first few drinks I made. About 8 o'clock, it really started to pick up, and we were actually really busy until almost 1 in the morning. We closed at 2, one of the earlier times I had seen at a bar, but it was only a Thursday, and I was assured that we closed later on the weekend.

Mark showed me the basics of closing up shop at the end of the night, so I could go ahead and get started so we could get out earlier. I cleaned everything I was told, and before I knew it, 2 am was upon us.

The bar was empty again, and it was just the servers finishing what they had for closing. Mark double checked everything I had done, and while Beth and Cyle still had the rest of the cleaning, Mark was already sitting down with Marzia to cash out for the night.

I was reminded how I worked my ass off, and I wasn't getting any of those tips. I'm sure they would all go to Mark, which was something I didn't really think about before I demanded doing things on my own. Sure, I was going to be paid on my paycheck for the actual hours I worked, but the part I really worked for was the tips that were being handed over to a guy I only really knew from one night of working with him.

I didn't bother to stick around, instead opting to have a cigarette out by my car before driving home for the night. It was quiet, especially for Los Angeles. We were on a side street in a not-so-busy part of town, but it was nice, even for awhile, to enjoy the quiet. Everything was wildly loud around my apartment, and the same thing in San Francisco. Being in the quiet reminded me of Ireland. Sure, I missed it, but I had no intention of going back anytime soon.

I was struck out of my trance by another slap to the shoulder. I didn't have to question who it was, but it still made me jump just like the first time.

“You're pretty jumpy for such a tough looking guy.” I turned to face Mark, who I could only see because of the single lamp still on in the parking lot.

“I wouldn't call myself 'tough looking'.” I laughed, and he smiled. Not the 'customer service' smile, but a genuine, soft smile.

“I would. All covered in tattoos, facial piercings, your ears are stretched. Fuck, you've even got green hair on top of your head, which, by the way, looks really great and I'm very jealous that you can pull off green hair, of all things.” I felt my cheeks turning red, and I hoped that he couldn't see with how dimly lit everything was around us.

“Well, thank you.” I took a drag from my cigarette. “And thank you, for letting me actually work tonight.” He raised one finger, before reaching in his back pocket and handing me a folded stack of money.

“You did really well tonight. I know Felix said no tips for you, but I felt so bad taking what you earned. I kept track of everything, so it's rightfully yours.” I stared down at the stack of money in my hand. This was incredibly nice of him to do, for someone he had just met.

“I-uh, thank you, Mark. This means a lot.”

“You deserve it, Jackaboy. I'll see you tomorrow night?” I flicked my cigarette across the parking lot and nodded.

“Definitely. Looking forward to it.” He smiled that same, unquestionable smile that lit up his face, and nodded in agreement. He waved and headed over to his car, leaving me in the dark.

In all honestly, I really was looking forward to tomorrow.


	4. Handsome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO UPDATE I FEEL SO BAD.  
> I've had really bad writers block for a few weeks, but alas, here is the next installment. It's a bit rushed, i apologize.  
> Let me know what you think!   
> Thank you!  
> ILYSM <3

It had been almost four days of working in the bar before I realized I didn't completely hate the place. The money definitely wasn't great, but it was a hell of a lot better than I had expected when I first laid eyes on the place. I had also learned in my short time that not only was the business itself pretty good, the people I worked with we're really nice, as well.

Felix and Marzia were there all the time, but as everyone had already told me, if there was a problem at the front, she was the first one up there. I found it a bit strange that Felix had started up a business such as a bar when he didn't really enjoy conversation with customers. I suppose that's what Marzia's expertise was, because she did a damn good job. The customers really seemed to like her; especially the regulars.

Beth, of course, was a sweetheart from the very beginning. I had also learned that she was just trying to pay her way through college, and she was an absolute workaholic. She was almost always at the bar, and worked more hours than just about anybody else there. She was very sweet and always willing to help out, that is, unless you got in the way of her making money. Which, in all honesty, was how most waitresses operated anyway.

The other server that was there all the time was Cyle. He was tall, blonde, handsome, muscular, and as he had already mentioned both directly and offhandedly, gay. He made absolutely no point in trying to hide it from anybody, and if somebody did have a problem with it, he had a problem with them. From what I had witnessed within the few days, Cyle was not a person you wanted to have issues with. While he was generally sweet and kind-hearted, he could unleash hell like none other. He basically stood in for both a server and a bouncer. There wasn't much need for other servers, but there were a few that showed up now and then, but they were obviously part time and only worked weekends and from what I had heard, the occasionally weekday.

Then, of course, there was Mark. The first night working with him was fantastic, and every night since then, he had shared my part of the tips, despite still being told not to give me anything. We had spent almost five days in a row together, and we eventually started talking most of the night. He had only been in Los Angeles for about a year, having moved all the way from Ohio. I had also learned that he had originally went to school to become an engineer, and I don't think I could ever understand why he would leave such a great opportunity to become a bartender on the other side of the country. He assured me he had his reasons, but never said anything else.

By the end of the few days of working at the bar, Mark and I had grown accustomed to me waiting at my car smoking a cigarette while he cashed out. He would come out, share his tips with me, and stand outside and chat until my cigarette was gone and I realized it was almost 4 in the morning.

The bar had started to calm down around 2:30, leaving us only a half hour to finish our closing lists and clean the place up so maybe we could get out before 3:30. As long as no other customers came in, we would be fine, and seeing as it was a Monday, we weren't too worried about it.

As Beth cleared the table of her last customer and handed them the bill, Mark and I began putting away the glasses that had just come from the dishwashers.

“You know, you're doing a really good job, Jack.” I smiled, although I knew Mark wasn't even looking at me. He had a really bad habit of saying things and not actually looking at the person he's talking to, even when he wasn't busy.

“Thanks, man. I told you I wasn't a totally shit bartender.” He gave a deep chuckle, handing me a few more beer mugs to put away.

“I never said you were.” He smiled at me as he walked around me to put the last couple of glasses away.

“Guys, can we stop talking so we can get the fuck out of here? That would be absolutely amazing, thanks.” Beth's tone was definitely something I hadn't heard from the petite brunette before. She filled up her tray with the half empty salt and pepper shakers, and headed back to the server station.

“Jesus, what's her deal?” I made sure to say it quiet enough that she wouldn't hear me in the next room.

“She does have her moments where she just has shitty nights. That last table probably tipped her like shit.” Our conversation ended up falling silent again when she came back out, rushing to get her tables and floor clean. We finished the rest of our closing duties silently, and actually getting done earlier than if we would have been talking the entire time.

Eventually Felix came out from the back, calculator in hand, ready to cash Mark out. We both grabbed our belongings from under the bar and headed into the lobby, Mark heading to his normal seat across from Felix as I made my way to the door.

“Hey, Jack!” The sound of my name made me stop in my tracks and turn on my heel. Felix was waving me over to where he had Mark were sat. I headed over to them and placed the cigarette I already had out behind my ear.

“Yeah?”

“So, Mark's been telling me how great you've been doing. Thanks to him, I've decided to definitely keep you on for good, and starting tonight, you'll get your tips, even though you've gotten your tips every night anyway, so I suppose that doesn't really matter.” Mark and I made eye contact, and I could see the slight panic in his eye. I wasn't nearly was worried as he was, but seeing how nervous Felix knowing this information made him, it was obvious I should be just was concerned.

“I'm sorry, I just--” Felix cut Mark off.

“Don't worry about it. I trust your judgment, Mark, and I know you wouldn't give him part of your money if you didn't think he deserved it. I'm glad we've finally hired another good bartender.” I could see the rush of relief fall across Mark's face, and I felt myself feel a bit better, as well. I was glad Mark didn't get in trouble for being nice and sharing his tips, because he absolutely didn't have to do it.

Felix motioned for me to sit down, and they talked me through the cashing out process. It wasn't anything to difficult, and it only took about 10 minutes to get through both of ours. After that, we headed out the front door together. I was a little upset, because this meant that Mark wasn't going to have a reason to stick around and talk to me anymore. I wasn't sure why that upset me really. I guess I just really enjoyed his company.

I headed to my car, and when I turned to say goodbye to Mark, I was startled to discover that he was right behind me. I jumped a bit and he laughed, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

“What, did you think I wasn't going to stay out here and talk to you while you smoked your after work cigarette?” I put the filtered end between my lips and lit the opposite end as he spoke. I took a quick puff and exhaled the smoke.

“What made you think I was still going to smoke my after work cigarette?” I leaned my body against the side of my car, and he mimicked my position, except on the car directly beside mine. It took me a minute to realize that it was his, and I had apparently subconsciously parked right next to him.

“You're obviously a man of habit, Jack. I think it's safe to assume you'll do this every night. Besides, we don't normally get a lot of time to talk while we're working, and I really like talking to you.” I snorted, taking another drag as I rolled my eyes.

“I don't know why. We don't have that much in common.” Mark tilted his head in confusion.

“What do you mean we don't have much in common? What makes you say that?”

“Look at us, Mark. You're this smart, handsome, do-good kid from the mid-west, and I'm...well....look at me.” _Wait, did I just call him handsome?_ Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't show any indication, which was a relief.

“Hey, just because you have green hair and make bad life choices, like filling your lungs with tar and gross shit, doesn't mean you're not smart. Besides, you're the first real person that's come through here in a long time. While I love Beth and Cyle and everyone else, I don't really get a long with them too well. You're the first person besides Felix or Marzia that I've had a real conversation with in what feels like fucking ages.” I nodded in agreement. It definitely had been awhile since I'd had a serious conversation with someone besides Dan.

We fell silent for a few minutes while I continued smoking my cigarette, until he spoke up again.

“Do you work tomorrow night?” I shook my head.

“No, I, uh, actually have a date tomorrow.” His posture straightened and he crossed his arms across his chest.

“Oh, a date? With who?” I shrugged my shoulders and threw my cigarette butt into the parking lot.

“I actually don't know. A friend of mine set me up on a blind date, which took ages for me to even agree to. I don't think it's going to go well, but he wouldn't shut up about it, and it was either agree or go to prison for manslaughter.” Mark laughed. I wasn't really excited about this date Dan had set me up on. It was something I had only learned that morning, and I absolutely was not ready.

“Well, good luck tomorrow night. I'll see you later this week, I'm sure?” I nodded and pushed my self off the side of my car.

“Yeah, seems like it.” He smiled an started to make his way around his car. “Oh, Mark?” He stopped and turned to me, eyebrows raised. “Thanks for putting in a good word to Felix for me. I really needed this job.” He smiled and nodded.

“Of course, anything you need.” We both got in our respective cars and headed out of the parking lot as I saw Felix locking up the front door. I could get used to working here, I suppose.


	5. Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, a few things I wanna say.  
> One, I am so, so sorry that it takes me so long between updates. It's been a really rough few months, so hopefully you all can understand.  
> Two, thank you guys for all the really nice comments and the kudos and what not. It seriously makes me so happy, and every now and then, i feel like I shouldn't continue this piece just because I'm not sure if I like the writing style I'm getting from it, but you guys seems to really like it, so thank you!  
> That's all, enjoy this long chapter, it's big deal ;)  
> MUAH

I was getting ready for my date when I heard a loud, worrisome crash come from the kitchen. I finished buttoning up my pants as I walked toward the sound, and as I rounded the corner, I was met with the sight of Dan facing away from me, on his knees in the kitchen. There was a giant pile of pots and pans in front of him, and he was cursing loudly to himself as he tried to pick them up.

“Are you alright, man?” He flipped his head around.

“Yeah, yeah. All is good.”

“You know, if you actually put them in there the right way, that wouldn't be an issue.” He rolled his eyes, then looked me up and down before turning back to his task of re-organizing the cookware.

“Is that what you're wearing tonight?” I looked down at myself.

“Well, I plan on putting on a t-shirt.” The sudden noise caused me to come running mid-dressing, so I was only in a dark pair of jeans and socks.

“I'm sure you could go just like that, Jack. That chest-full of tattoos is enough to get anyone on your dick.” I kicked him in the back with the bottom of my foot, and he fell forward into the pile he was putting together. He laughed as he pulled himself back up and finished putting the pots away.

“What time did you say she would be there?” He stood up off the ground and reached for his phone on the counter. He scrolled through it for a second.

“7:30. So you better get going soon.” The clock on the microwave said 7:04.

“Yeah, yeah. How am I supposed to find her when I get there?”

“Alex will be in a bright red shirt. Short, dark hair, and--” there was a small beep from his phone. “is already at the bar.” he finished. “So you better get going, bud.” I shook my head and ran off to the bedroom to throw my shirt on. I wasn't so sure about the blind date that Dan had set up for me. I wasn't one for these anyway, and Dan was so incredibly sure that this girl was perfect for me. I wasn't really even looking for anyone to be with at the moment, as I could barely take care of myself at this point in my life, and I definitely didn't need someone else to make that more of a challenge.

I pulled up to the bar Dan had given me the directions to, and from what I could tell, it was really nice. It was obviously more of a local place, and since it was only a Tuesday, there wasn't a line to get in, but there was still a few cars in the parking lot, most likely there for dinner. There was a bright, neon sign that read _Seven Grand_ above the door, and a guy standing outside smoking a cigarette. I put out my own as I got out of the car, and headed up to the front door.

As I assumed, the guy out front asked for my I.D. After checking it, he let me through the doors. The inside was just as I expected; decently sized and pretty empty. There was four or five tables filled, and there was about 6 or so people sitting at the bar, which I scanned as I stood by the front door.

There was a couple sitting on the far end of the bar, sitting way too close and chatting between the two of them. There was a big, bald guy chugging down a beer with a buddy beside him, who while he was still intimidating in size, he had a lot more hair on his head. There was a girl in a dark blue t-shirt who was by herself, but she was faced away from the bar while she waited for her drinks to be made. I assumed she was with the group of girls that sat at a nearby booth, as she was making faces and yelling across the bar at them. Then there was a tall, slim man sitting by himself on the end, looking down at his phone while he drank a double shot of whiskey.

I was confused, as Dan said that she was already at the bar. I looked down at my phone, which said it was 7:25. I decided she had probably just went to the restroom, so I headed over to the bar and sat down between the girl waiting on her drinks and the two guys taking back brews and cheese fries like it was their calling.

I ordered a glass of soda and watched as the girl beside me took two Bloody Mary's over to the table, leaving an empty stool between me and the guy by himself. The bartender brought me the Pepsi and sat it down, obviously confused why I was sitting at the bar if I wasn't buying a drink. I was a bit irritated that Dan thought going to a bar on a blind date was a good idea for me. It's the same idea as if I worked at a fast food place; I wouldn't want to go there and eat on my off time. Even thought it wasn't the bar I worked at, they were all the same, and none made me feel comfortable if I was on the wrong side of the bar.

I took a few drinks from the straw, and from the corner of my eye, I watched the guy scoot over to close the gap between us, bringing his half empty glass along with him.

“Hey, how's it going?” I turned to look at him and smiled, straw still in my mouth. I sat the glass down before I replied.

“Um, I'm fine, thank you.” I turned back to face the bar, deciding to check out what they had to choose from at a place like this. I heard the man beside me chuckle.

“I'm Alex. You are Jack, aren't you? I mean you're the only person here with green hair.” He laughed and took another drink, and I felt my chest tighten. _That son of a bitch._

I turned to face him, once again. He was looking at me, waiting for a reply. This time, though, instead of brushing him off, I paid attention to the person I was looking at. He had dark, short hair, and he had on a bright red shirt. Not just any shirt, though, a _polo_ shirt. He had a few tattoos sneaking out of the right sleeve, but beyond that, he looked like he belonged at an insurance agency. How was Dan even friends with a guy like this?

“Oh, god...” I groaned. He put his hand on my shoulder.

“Look, I know I probably don't seem like your type, but I just came from work, so that's why I'm in this stupid polo shirt and what not.” I slumped away from his touch, and I could tell he was a bit offended by it.

“Look, man...” I pulled out my wallet, getting a few bucks out for the drink I had ordered and handed it over to the bartender, who took it without saying anything, thankfully. “This has nothing to do with you being my type or not. The fact that you're a guy puts you out of that category pretty much immediately.” I looked at him apologetically, and while he was obviously upset, he shook his head.

“Then why did you come here?” I sighed.

“Well, Dan never told me you were a guy. So it's all his fault, so I plan on going home and kicking his ass.” Alex laughed.

“I'm sorry I wasted your time, man.”

“No, I'm sorry. Dan's a fucking asshole, and I'm going to make sure he knows it.” I got my change back from the bartender and said a quick goodbye, and made my way home as quickly as possible. I was beyond pissed. Dan never really made any point about weather this Alex was a boy or girl, but anytime he used pronouns in any conversations we had about him, he always used 'she', but I should have noticed he tried his hardest not to use any. I didn't think he would do something like this, ever, really.

I pulled back into the apartment and opened my front door, slamming it against the wall behind it. Dan was sitting in the living room, eating a bowl of Fruity Pebbles with the TV on some stupid show I hadn't really seen before. He turned and looked at me, spoon halfway between him and the bowl. I obviously scared him, but I didn't care.

“What the _fuck,_ Dan.” I was seething. I was past the point of yelling. I was speaking through gritted teeth. He took the bite he had on the spoon and he sat the bowl down, chewing what was in his mouth as he talked.

“You didn't like Alex?” He seemed nonplussed by my obvious anger. I slammed the door behind me.

“You didn't tell me Alex was a _man._ ” Dan shrugged his shoulders. “Don't just fucking shrug your shoulders! First you _insist_ it be at a bar, when you know I don't drink, and then you straight up lie to my face and make me look like a fucking idiot.” He stood up and walked towards me, his hands out in front of him as if to stop me from running directly into him.

“Look, Jack, listen to me. I knew you wouldn't go if I told you Alex was a dude, okay? Why are you so against this? Why are you trying so damn hard to lie to yourself?”

“Fuck you, Dan--”

“No, no, no, fucking talk to me about this, Jack. You've told me yourself, that you were pretty sure dudes were at least an option. I also know you're fucking terrified of that, and I just really need to understand why. You refuse to acknowledge this...bi-curiosity of yours and it's obviously driving you crazy.”

“Okay, but that doesn't mean you can lie to me and force me into it! This isn't something I need your help on, at all. I'm a big boy, I can take care of this myself.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stuck one hip out.

“Really? Is that why you're crushing so hard on this dude at work, yet you're _still_ too chicken-shit to accept the fact that you're into dudes?” I immediately felt my face redden, half of embarrassment, and half in anger.

“I like girls, Dan-”

“Who's saying you can't like both? Jesus, life isn't black and white, why does your sexuality have to be? There's absolutely nothing wrong with liking guys, Jack. Nothing. I just hate seeing you so torn up about this. I really do. It's not fair. Nobody is going to be upset with you. I'm here for you, always, and I know your family is, too. You can't keep denying this, you're going to run yourself ragged, and I'll be damned if I watch you have a mental fucking breakdown over something like this.” I sighed, and Dan uncrossed his arms and walked even closer to me. He stretched his arms out and put a hand on my shoulders.

For the first time in my life, I was at a complete loss for words. I wasn't sure what to say in response. I wasn't even sure what to think, really. I looked up at Dan, who was waiting for me to make eye contact with him. His dark brown eyes were full of worry, and I immediately felt bad.

This man has lived with me for long enough to figure me out. It wasn't something I was excited about, but there was something about him that made the two of us work so well together. Most of the time, I felt like I was taking care of him. Even with him being quite a bit older than me, he acted like a child most of the time. He had his moments, though, and it was normally when it came to making sure I was okay.

“I don't have a crush on him.” I said quietly. He raised an eyebrow.

“You talk about him an awful lot for someone who doesn't have a crush.”

“No, no, I don't.” He smiled and rolled his eyes, but I still wasn't ready to be not angry with him. “You still lied to me, Dan. That was not cool, at all.” His smile faded and he looked down at his feet.

“Look, I know. I'm sorry, Jack. That was extremely uncool of me, and I'll never do it again. Just promise me you'll try to come to terms with this instead of letting it keep you from being happy?” The words hit me hard, but I absolutely refused to cry. This wasn't the time.

“Yeah, man. I'll work on it.” Dan smiled and held his long arms out, obviously wanting a hug from me. I rolled my eyes and started to walk around him, but instead he clothes-lined my chest and pulled me in for an awkward, chest to back hug. He had his arms wrapped around my shoulders, and with the insane height difference, my head just smacked against his bony chest when he pulled me in.

“Fucking Christ, Dan, can you just go finish your fucking food and leave me alone for two seconds.” He immediately let go at the mention of his cereal, which was probably a soggy mess at this point. He darted off to the living room, getting there in just a few bounds. I made my way back to my bedroom to change clothes, yet again.

 


	6. Speak of the Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took forever! I re-wrote this a thousand times before I was finally happy with the outcome. It's a bit of a filler, but hopefully it won't be too long before the next update.   
> i'm going to be moving back to indiana in the next few weeks, and I don't think I'm going to have constant computer access for awhile, so i apologize if i lack in writing around the middle of November. I'm going to try my hardest to get stuff out, or at least have stuff backed up so I don't have to go too long without posting, again. ):  
> But thank you all for reading!  
> LOVE YOU

The rest of the week after the date wasn't the best. I worked a few more days before Sunday, mostly on the weekend, but it wasn't as busy as we were hoping. Everything Dan had said to me that night stuck with me, especially while I was at work. It was getting difficult to focus, and I was thankful when Felix decided to shut down the bar early Sunday night, even though it was the first night I was able to work alone.

He walked out, a giant stack of papers in his hand, followed shortly by Marzia. I was wiping down the bar as I watched him survey the room, which sat empty and quiet, except for the music that played and the sliding of the tables and Cyle cleaned them. Felix sighed loudly, and turned around to talk to his wife. He said something too quiet for me to hear properly, and when she shrugged her shoulders, he stepped around her and walked up to me.

He asked me how long it had been since we had a customer, and after checking the clock, I realized it had been almost 50 minutes since we had someone walk in. He obviously wasn't thrilled with the answer, and after consulting with Marzia one last time, he instructed for Cyle and I to clean up shop and close down almost an hour and a half early. It didn't take us long to finish, as we had ample time before to get most of the side work out of the way. Felix and Marzia only stuck around long enough to cash the both of us out.

We all walked outside at the same time, Cyle and I lighting cigarettes as Felix locked the door. They said a quick goodbye, and it wasn't long before they were tearing out of the parking lot. Cyle and I were left alone, chatting among ourselves between our cars as we puffed away.

He asked me about my date, which he seemed more eager than I would have imagined to ask about. He had taken most of the weekend off to tend to family matters, and he's not extremely talkative while we're actually working. I was thankful for that, as I wasn't really wanting to talk about the disastrous date earlier in the week. I settled on telling him it had been canceled, making up something about how my date had an emergency of some sort. He bought it.

“Well, that's good though, right?” I raised my eyebrow as I took another drag.

“What do you mean?”

“Now you can ask Mark out.” I choked on the smoke that was in my lungs, causing me to fall into a coughing fit for a good minute before I was able to speak properly.

“Why would I do that?” I knew I had a look of embarrassment and horror on my face, as Cyle laughed and shook his head.

“Look, Beth and I are putting up bets how long it's going to take you guys to go out. I know I haven't been here all week, but she's been keeping me updated, and from what I've been told, you guys are getting very close, very fast.” He wasn't entirely wrong. I loved spending time with Mark, and multiple times this week we had been yelled at by Marzia to stop talking and actually do our jobs. It was easy to get lost in conversation with him.

I wasn't going to admit it to Cyle, but I had been thinking about Mark a lot more than I had liked, especially after Dan's speech the other night. There was definitely something I felt, but I wasn't exactly ready to admit any of those feelings, especially out loud.

“I think you guys have the wrong idea. I'm not even into guys.” Cyle didn't even humor me with a reply, he only raised his eyebrows, not fooled by attempt to convince him. “I'm not.” I said sternly.

He shrugged his shoulders and threw his cigarette on the concrete, smashing it with his shoe. He stared over my shoulder, a smug grin spreading across his face.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear.” I turned to look at what he was staring at, which happened to be a very familiar car. We both watched as he pulled in beside the other side of my car and killed the engine. Mark stumbled out of the drivers seat, slamming the door shut with his hip and fumbling with his keys as he walked over to us, nodding a hello.

“What's with the pow-wow outside?” He asked, looking more at me for an answer than Cyle.

“Felix decided to shut down early tonight.” Mark turned to look at the empty building.

“Well, that blows.” Cyle pulled his keys out of his pocket and shook them around, grabbing both of our attention.

“Ladies, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have things to attend to at home, and I'll be damned if I don't enjoy this extra time off.” Before either of us could say goodbye, he was starting up the engine in his car and pulling out onto the street.

Mark and I were left alone. The parking lot was completely empty, and it wasn't too different from our normal chats we had after work together, except it was only 1:30 in the morning, which was absurdly early for us to be getting off work. I took one last drag before I asked him why he had come all the way out here on his day off.

“I came to see how your first night alone went.”

“I don't need a babysitt--”

“No, no before you start getting all temperamental on me, I wasn't doing it to keep an eye on you or because I don't think you can do your job. I was going to come in for a drink and make sure Felix wasn't giving you a hard time or anything. He likes to do that once I'm gone and he has the new people to himself. Also, I take a lot of pride in the people I train, and to be honest, you're the first person who's stayed this long.” Any sense of anger I had was washed away.

“Well, that's a nice thing to do, but I'm sorry you wasted your time.” I put my cigarette out on the bottom of my shoe and flicked it into the grass on the edge of the parking lot. Mark looked around for a second.

“Actually, doesn't have to be a total waste of time.” He said. He turned to walk to his car and motioned for me to follow him.

“What?”

“Get in the car.” I looked around the empty parking lot. I trusted Mark, but this was the first time he had made any attempt to see or hang out with me outside of work. I wasn't really sure what to do. “Jack.”

His voice pulled me back to reality. He was halfway in his drivers seat, both arms over the top of the car door. “Let's fucking go.” I didn't think about it as much as I probably should have. I ran around to the passenger side and jumped in.

I buckled my seat belt as he started up the car, the engine turning on a lot smoother than mine ever did.

“Where are we going?” I asked as he started pulling out of the parking lot.

“It's a surprise. Sit back, enjoy the ride.”


	7. Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY IVE BEEN NEGLECTING THIS.  
> A lot has been happening since I last updated this. I've moved back across the country and lost all access to a computer,  
> that is UNTIL NOW  
> I hope to actually finish this, I feel so bad about leaving this hanging, and I still get comments about this. SO HERE YOU GO.  
> There will be more to this, but it probably wont be until after new years, I'm not positive when it will be.   
> THANK YOU FOR STILL SENDING LOVE.  
> I love you.  
> Happy Holidays.

Mark’s car was exactly as I expected. The inside was completely leather, and it wasn’t messy at all. It was the exact opposite of mine in every way possible. It was one of the nicest cars I had been in, and I was wondering how he managed to get something like this on a bartender’s pay. That, of course, wasn’t something to ask someone you barely knew.

We didn’t say much to each other, until we pulled onto the main highway off the street the bar was located on. As Mark turned, he asked me what kind of music I liked.

“Um, I mean, I like a lot of different kinds…”

“That’s such a typical answer, come on.” I shrugged my shoulders.   

“I like metal, a lot?” He switched lanes and he stole a quick, sideways glance in my direction.

“Why do you say it like a question?” I chuckled.       

“I mean, I do like metal, it’s probably my favorite. I also like a lot of other types of music, though, so to say it’s only metal that I listen to is a lie.” This answer seemed to satisfy him, and he waited until he pulled up to a stoplight to mess with his phone, which he plugged into the aux cord attached to his car radio. He didn’t have it turned up very loud, but after settling on a song, the light turned green and we were down the highway again.

“Well, enjoy the ride, then. You’ll get to see a lot of the city before we get there.”

“Where is there?” I received another sideways glance before he turned up the radio, leaving my question completely unanswered.

The music drowned out almost all conversation we could have been having, but I was more entertained just watching Mark sing along to every song that came on, as loudly as possible. There were more than a few songs I knew and loved myself, so I would join in with his karaoke session. Although the conversation between us was nearly non-existent, I still felt like I was getting to know him in the best way possible. I hadn’t seen him act like this anytime at work, and this was already a new side to Mark that I had a feeling most people didn’t get to see, anyway.

Before I knew it, we were out of the main part of  the city, as it got dramatically darker at the lack of lights around us. We had probably been driving for the better part of 20 minutes, but it didn’t feel like that long at all.

Mark pulled into a parking lot that didn’t really seem to belong to anything nearby. At least, nothing that was open at nearly this late at night. All the lights were off, except for a building that was behind the one we were parked at. I could see the lights coming from behind the building that blocked our vision, and before I could ask what it was, Mark was already opening my car door, waiting for me to step out onto the concrete.

I was going to ask him for the third time what this place was, but I decided I just wanted it to be a surprise. It was obvious this is what Mark intended it to be, so I might as well enjoy the new part of town I was able to experience.

Mark walked with his hands in his coat pockets, not leaving my side the entire way to the front door of the lit up building, which was now completely in our view.

It was a small building, but the windows were huge, showing nearly everything inside. It was a 24-hour diner, and there was only one customer inside, sitting at the bar, drinking a coffee. Besides that one customer and maybe a few employees, the place was completely empty.

“This is my favorite place in town.” Mark said, opening the front door and motioning me to walk in first. I nodded a thank you and stepped inside, and was immediately over-run by the smell of breakfast. Mark followed behind me and the only waitress there walked up, obviously knowing Mark as she welcomed us.

“You’ve brought a friend tonight, I see?” The tall brunette stood above both Mark and I, and she had a very sweet, familiar smile. Mark nodded.

“Jack, this is Lela. I obviously come here a lot.” We laughed as she grabbed two menus and took us to a booth at the very corner of the building, surrounded by windows on two sides. Mark ordered us two coffees, and she walked away.

“This is was the surprise?” Mark nodded.

“I come here almost every night I work. It’s close to my house, and they have the best food I’ve probably ever had in my life.” It wasn’t long after that Lela brought us back two coffees, and asked if we were ready to order. I started to decline, as I didn’t really have the money to eat out besides this single coffee, but before I could say anything, Mark ordered two identical plates of food, and the waitress was gone yet again.

“Mark, I don’t have any money to eat out—“

“I planned on paying anyway.” I shook my head. “Um, yes, Jack, I’m buying you breakfast.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“You’re right, but I want to, so I’m going to.”  I could feel myself blushing, but I was thankful. I hadn’t had anything but instant noodles and grilled cheese in months.

“Well, thank you.” He smiled sweetly and I could feel my face get even redder than it was a second ago. He poured a ton of containers of creamer into his coffee, along with too many packets of sugar. I scrunched my nose as I reached for as single packet of sugar.

“Were you scrunching your nose at my coffee?” He asked, stirring the once dark black liquid into a light tan creamy mess.

“You’ve ruined it.” I said, taking a drink of mine. “Don’t you even want to taste the coffee?”

“I can taste the coffee, thank you.” He took a drink and I shook my head in disgust. He smiled as he sat the cup down. “So, how do you like it at the bar so far?”

“It’s not bad. The people there are pretty great, but it definitely wasn’t my first choice.” He tilted his head, almost like a puppy, and I could feel my heart swell up.

“Why not?” I turned my focus to the cup of coffee in my hand.

“It doesn’t seem like it gets a lot of business, and I was pretty sure it was just a shit place to work. I mean, I’m slowly but surely being proven wrong.” That turned Marks concerned expression into a smile.

“Well, I plan to make sure you _are_ proven wrong. It’s a really great place to work. You don’t have to deal with stupid corporate places or owners who are never there. Felix loves that place more than anything, except maybe Marzia, and the employees we have stay. Beth and Cyle have both been there for years. We have a few other in and out waitresses, but they’re mostly just college kids who end up leaving after school. We have really loyal customers, and we do get busy, believe it or not. You can make some good money there. And, with me, you’re automatically set up for success.” He smiled and winked, and I couldn’t help but laugh in response. Mark chuckled, his smile growing even more. “Hopefully this isn’t too out of line, but you have a very contagious laugh, Jack. You should laugh like that more often.”

“Do I laugh differently?” He nodded as he took another drink.

“I’ve only heard you do that twice, I think. You normally just quietly chuckle, but this is much more fitting for you. Let your hair down, stop being so tense. You have nothing to be nervous about, especially if I’m with you.” The last statement left my mouth dry and my stomach in knots, but before the conversation could continue, Lela interrupted to bring us our plates of food.

“You boys enjoy!” She smiled and let us be, with two plates of breakfast, and a hanging conversation that left me with a thousand questions about myself.


End file.
